Clix and other distant rumblings from GTS 2010

March 27th, 2010:
Allan Sugarbaker says...Clix and other distant rumblings from GTS 2010

Sadly, the OgreCave crew didn’t make it out to the GAMA Trade Show this year, but if we had, we’d probably be talking about the following news trickling out of Vegas right now (other than the Origins Awards nominees, of course):

HeroClix, now coming to us from NECA/WizKids, is back in a big way at GTS. The Brave & the Bold, with its team-up “duo” figures, arrives next month; Brightest Day is after that, followed by Web of Spider-Man (which will have an Iron Man/WarMachine duo figure), and then DC 75 will celebrate DC’s 75th anniversary and include characters from the White Lantern Corp. The HaloClix game will also get a new set, possibly to coincide with the release of Halo: Reach late this year.

In other NECA/WizKids news, there are plans for games based on the movie properties of Gremlins and Freddy vs Jason, though according to a forum post by Justin Ziran, VP of Brand Marketing at WizKids, these will not be Clix games. Finally, WizKids plans to introduce three new Euro style boxed games coming this fall, designed by some combination of Reiner Knizia, Vlaada Chvátil, Mike Elliot and Eric Lang. The Euro games will be based on three “HUGE properties” and use pre-painted figures – a WizKids speciality.

Pirate versus Pirate (Out of the Box Publishing) will have a triangular play area with some loot in the middle, and pit 2-3 teams of pirates against each other. In this board game sequel to Ninja versus Ninja, each Pirate crew can win by capturing the treasure or eliminating his opponents.

Wizards of the Coast will produce a new D&D “Red Box” Starter set in September, and have a number of 4E products lined up for beginning or returning players. Let’s not forget the big Castle Ravenloft cooperative board game, either – coming in mid-August, the game will be for 1-5 players (solo rules? Interesting…), and include a scenario book, 40 plastic figures, interlocking dungeon tiles, 200 encounter and treasure cards, and more, all for $64.95. I’m trying not to get my hopes up for this to be a D&D take on Space Hulk. I’m trying, but failing. It just sounds sweet!

James Ernest and Mike Selinker ran demos of their new game Dust & Sin, an appropriately-named game about building Las Vegas, which will be published later this year by Mayfair Games. [EDIT: After a few name changes, this game is now called Lords of Vegas]

AEG and Dust Games will release Mad Zeppelin in May, and a Thunderstone expansion, Wrath of the Elements will arrive this year as well.

Super Genius Games (the company founded by R. Hyrum Savage and Stan! that brought us Cthulhu adventures like Murder of Crows) announced the Adventurer’s Handbook, a 96 page softcover compiling some of the best Genius Guides from the company’s Pathfinder line. It ships July 2010 and will cost $19.99.

We’ll add more as we hear it. Game publishers: if you announced products at GTS this year, tell us about ‘em, and I’ll add to the story as I’m able. (You could also put news(at)ogrecave(DOT)com on your PR email list, while you’re at it. Please and thank you.)